Officials Seize Alleged Dealer's Home

NEWPORT NEWS — The large, Colonial-style house at 1411 Riversedge Road on the James River got new locks on its doors Thursday, paid for by the federal government, which has the only set of keys.

Two U.S. deputy marshals, accompanied by 10 city police narcotics detectives, swarmed over the property that until Thursday belonged to alleged cocaine dealer Charles Ray Carrithers.

Carrithers, a 41-year-old real estate broker, and his wife, Deborah F. Carrithers, are wanted for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute it.

The two have been charged but not arrested. They were not home when the officers visited Thursday, six days after a raid that netted 22 ounces of suspected cocaine valued at $40,000, 14 guns and assorted drug paraphernalia.

Charles A. Huffman, an attorney who has represented Charles Carrithers in previous legal matters, said Wednesday that Carrithers contacted him earlier this week. The lawyer said Carrithers was in Florida and would return to Virginia to face the charges.

The federal government seized the house because city police alleged it was used in the trafficking of cocaine. A deputy marshal said it was the first house in Newport News seized under a federal statute that allows the government to take property used as a place to distribute or use drugs.

Mark A. Exley, assistant U.S. attorney in Norfolk who authorized the seizure warrant, said it was the 11th house seized in Hampton Roads and the one having the highest assessed value. The property is assessed at $271,200.

The federal marshals came at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, leaving behind about a dozen stick-on "No Trespassing" signs on doors, windows, the garage and even two trees on the sloping back yard that meets the James River shoreline.

Three television stations and one newspaper sent camera crews and reporters.

After entering through an unlocked side door, the officers scoured the house, inspecting drawers and making videotapes of each room to aid in an inventory of furnishings and personal belongings. Some officers were seen inside the house holding up photographic slides to the light.

Jon K. Mitchell, a deputy marshal in charge of the seizure, said the inventory is needed to protect the federal government against any claims of damage or theft that occurs while it possesses the property.

Exley explained that the owners have 10 days to file a claim on the property. In some cases, those claims are filed by the deedholders and banks holding the mortgage.

If a claim is filed, there is a forfeiture hearing before the U.S. District Court.

"If no one files a claim, then the federal government takes possession," Exley said.

"Ultimately, if we succeed in getting an order of forfeiture, then the property would be turned over to the U.S. marshal for sale," he said. In most cases, a house would be sold to a real estate company through a bid process.

That money would be used to pay off any liens. Any left over money would be divided between the federal Asset Forfeiture Fund, which helps pay for federal prisons, and local police. "A portion of the proceeds could be transferred to the local police for law enforcement purposes," Exley said.

Claims have been filed on two of three houses seized in Hampton a few weeks ago, he said.

Since October, when the program went into effect, about $2 million in assets from drug trafficking have been forfeited to the federal government in the Eastern District of Virginia, Exley said.

To retrieve any personal belongings, the owners have to contact the U.S. attorney's office. Exley estimates about 90 percent of his work is spent on seizures and asset forfeitures.

"It's important to remember that this is a civil case. We're not convicting anyone, calling them a criminal or putting anyone in jail. It's simply a matter of taking away drug property."